This invention relates to archery bows and, in particular, to a grip having an adjustable tilt and a separate, adjustable lateral displacement relative to the handle of an archery bow.
Whether hunting or target shooting, an archer strives to develop a consistent form to achieve accuracy with each shot. Various sights, counterweights, and other accessories are available to help the archer achieve this purpose. One item, which is on every bow, that is often overlooked is the grip. A grip is typically a wooden or plastic piece which is curved or shaped to fit the hand of the archer. The grip may be formed as part of the bow itself or be a separate piece. For bows having detachable limbs, the grip is typically a separate piece of wood, plastic, or metal attached to the handle.
Seen from above, an archer holding a bow at full draw forms a triangle. The arrow is one side of the triangle, extending from the archer's hand (or release mechanism) to the arrow rest, which is attached just above the grip. The archer's arm is the second side of the triangle. The archer's torso forms the third side of the triangle. The angle between the arm of the archer and the arrow depends on the archer's style, the draw length of the bow, and the size of the archer.
A handle is typically made from aluminum or other light metal or alloy and is wider front to back (in the direction of the arrow) than it is from side to side. The grip is aligned with the handle, i.e. with the arrow, not with the archer's arm. The archer thus holds the grip slightly turned in his hand or else bends his wrist backward slightly to hold the grip squarely. An archer may also have to tilt his wrist in order to hold the bow vertically. As used herein, bending the wrist means moving the hand out of the plane of the bones of the forearm and tilting the wrist means twisting the hand up and down in the plane of the bones of the forearm. Since a bent or tilted wrist is weaker than a straight wrist, an inconsistency can occur as the archer changes his hold on the bow either through fatigue or lack of concentration or as the archer moves the bow as the arrow is released.
Adjustable grips are known in the prior art and generally fall into one of two types. The first type is a grip that is adjustable front to rear, in the direction of the arrow. U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,536 (Carella) discloses a grip of this type. The second type is a grip that is connected to the handle by a ball and socket joint. U.S. Pat. No. 3,407,799 (Reynolds) discloses a grip of the second type. While permitting a grip to rotate in several directions, the second type of grip concentrates the draw force in the ball and socket joint and is difficult to position consistently.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,958 (Shepley, Jr.) discloses a rugged, laterally adjustable grip in which the grip is attached to the handle of a bow by threaded inserts in the handle. It is disclosed that the threaded inserts can be attached to the handle by press fit, external threads, or adhesive. The handle is held in place by opposed screws through each side of the handle.
The draw length of a bow is the distance from the nocking point to the grip at full draw. An adjustable grip may change the draw length of a bow as the position of the grip is changed. Changing the draw length can change the draw force characteristics of the bow. It is highly desirable that adjusting the grip not trigger a series of adjustments, amounting to completely re-tuning the bow.
In view of the foregoing, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved ergonomic grip for an archery bow.
Another object of the invention is to provide a grip having an adjustable tilt relative to the handle of an archery bow.
A further object of the invention is to provide a grip which couples the draw force to the handle by at least two points of contact.
Another object of the invention is to provide a grip that can translate along and rotate about an axis in independent motions.
A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable, tilting grip which does not change the draw length of a bow when the grip is adjusted.